The State and Future of Antarctic Environments in a Global Context

Abstract

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean comprise a critical part of the Earth System. Their environments are better understood than ever before, yet the region remains poorly considered among international agreements to improve the state of the global environment. In part the situation owes to isolated regional regulation within the Antarctic Treaty System, and in part to the dated notion that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are well conserved and relatively free from human impact. Here we review growth in knowledge of Antarctic environments and anthropogenic pressures on them. We show that the region's unusual diversity is facing substantial local and globally mediated anthropogenic pressure, on a par with environments globally. Antarctic environmental management and regulation is being challenged to keep pace with the change. Much benefit can be derived from consideration of Antarctic environmental and resource management in the context of global agreements.

Antarctic environmental change and biological responses

“…In terms of conservation management and planning, the instruments and mechanisms are in place to achieve this, both within Antarctica and in the wider global arena, and what is required is the political will and commitment within the Antarctic Treaty System’s signatory nations ( 56 , 63 , 195 , 251 ). However, it is not yet possible to assess how effective current or future conservation measures are in Antarctica ( 43 ), especially in the marine environment.…”

“…[images are brachiopods ( Liothyrella uva ), nemertean worms ( Parborlasia corrugatus ), anemones ( Isotaelia antarctica ), and giant isopod ( Glyptonotus antarcticus )]; large increases in human activity in terms of more infrastructure, increased tourism, and national field campaigns all directly affect environments on land and sea (images are Dash 7 aircraft, McMurdo station, tourist vessel, Rothera station building, Sir David Attenborough ship, and vehicle tracks on King George Island); reductions in coastal ice make new habitat for new biological productivity in the water column and on the seabed, acting to provide new food for ecosystems and against warming by sequestering carbon; warming, ice melt, and increased precipitation on the continent not only provide new ice-free areas and stimulate increases in populations of native species but also increase likelihood of establishment of non-natives and reduce the isolation and, hence, persistence of native species. Colors on continent show warming and cooling trends over the past 50 years: Red intensity shows warming up to 2°C, and blue shows cooling of up to −1.5°C [following ( 195 )].…”

“…These are the same areas in which terrestrial ecosystems are best developed and that host marine vertebrate breeding and molting concentrations. Thus, there is competition for access to and use of the very limited resource of ice-free land, with the result that it has recently been documented that an unusually large proportion is already affected by human activity ( 194 , 195 ).…”

“…“Human footprint” assessments are now being carried out in ice-free areas [e.g., ( 194 , 203 , 211 )]. These efforts are beginning to demonstrate previously unappreciated large-scale environmental modification ( 195 ), although this area of research is still in its early stages.…”

Progress towards a representative network of Southern Ocean protected areas

“…CCAMLR may need to enact other precautionary management measures targeted at reducing or even eliminating fish catch in some areas [109]. Given the international nature of climate change and threats to Antarctic biodiversity, successful deployment of such measures by CCAMLR will require collaboration with other appropriate international organizations and initiatives, including those of the United Nations [110][111][112][113]. Integration across these management bodies will broaden CCAMLR's toolbox [114] for taking action on conserving the globally significant biodiversity and living resources of the Southern Ocean [115][116][117][118].…”